Review: The Annotated Emma by Jane Austen, Edited and Annotated by David M. Shapard

Note: The dress on the cover of this book is made with the machine-made net overlay that I described in an earlier post on this blog. Click here to read it.

Emma, Jane Austen’s longest novel, is the only one of her books named after her heroine. Yet, as Jane Austen herself put it, “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” I rather agree with Miss Austen’s assessment of her own creation, for I have never quite liked the novel because of the main character. The Annotated Emma by Jane Austen, edited and annotated by David M. Shapard might well change my mind about this privileged young woman.

In the preface to The Annotated Emma, David M. Shapard addresses Emma’s unique place in the pantheon of Austen heroines – she’s independent, in charge of her household, and flawed. It is her bossy and ultimately clueless nature that drives the plot, which has very little action to speak of. The first half of the book is influenced by Emma’s behavior and choices as she moves towards growth and self-awareness, but the second half of the plot is taken over by secondary characters and a mystery.

There are no true villains in this rather gentle, bucolic tale. While Frank Churchill is unscrupulous, he is not vile, and Mrs. Elton merely represents an irritating exaggeration (and vulgar mirror) of Emma’s worst traits. Life in Highbury is placid. It revolves around its characters, and Jane Austen is at her comic best introducing their follies with humor. The book, with its inevitable happy ending, is not sappy, for it leaves the reader with the sense that Emma will never quite become as perfect on the inside as she is on the outside, and that her snobby ways remain intact. Sadly, with her marriage to Mr. Martin, Harriet Smith has removed herself from Emma’s social sphere, which was quite understood by both women and the men they married. One also gets the sense that, as her husband, Mr. Knightley will swiftly act as a brake on Emma’s machinations as the “grande dame” of the neighborhood should any of her impulses lead the object of her interest astray.

Dr. Shaphard’s annotated edition explains almost every detail and minutia in Emma that one can think of. Filled with black and white images (as a visual person, I loved these!), notations, citations, definitions, and explanations, this book is a must-have for Jane Austen fans. Readers who have never quite warmed up to Emma will rediscover her and all the denizens of Highbury in its pages. For example, as much as I like to look up information about the Regency era, I missed Mr. Woodhouse’s reference to the South End, which he regards an unhealthy place. In David Shaphard’s annotation the South End, now called the Southend-on-Sea, developed as a seaside resort in the 1790’s. Spurred by its proximity to London, it never rivaled the leading resorts: “One reason was the mud found on its shore at low tides; which may have inspired the opinion of Mr. Woodhouse.”

Mrs. Elton is not only a comical foil, but she represents something more:

The figure of Mrs. Elton also corresponds to one seen frequently in the literature of the time, that of the vulgar parvenu. Many writers offered satirical depictions of newly rich merchants and their families, who aspired to rise into genteel society and to emulate the manners and ways of those above them. But, while full of self-assurance and a belief that they knew what was correct and fashionable, their manners, speech, and behavior continually betrayed their true ignorance.”

A black and white illustration of this painting @The Victoria and Albert Museum is included in this edition. Miss Mary Linwood holds a painting in her left hand and needlework wool in her lap. Both are symbols of a refined young lady's talents. Mary mastered the craft of needlework paintings and is known for her intricate and detailed works. Click here to read my post about her.

On first reading Emma, new readers are unaware that the book also offers a subplot in the form of a mystery. Upon close scrutiny a second time, these clues start to emerge, giving the reader an “Ah Ha! I should have seen that” moment. Throughout this edition, Dr. Shaphard offers his observations of these clues, preceding them with an unmistakable warning, {CAUTION: PLOT SPOILER} to ward off the newbie reader.

This new addition to the Jane Austen collection of annotated works is quite thick and filled with useful, well-researched information. Random House’s website describes its contents:

Explanations of historical context

Citations from Austen’s life, letters, and other writings

Definitions and clarifications

Literary comments and analysis

Maps of places in the novel

An introduction, bibliography, and detailed chronology of events

Nearly 200 informative illustrations

My rating: 5 out of 5 Regency teacups

The maps are quite as informative as the clarifications and illustrations. I recommend this annotated edition to anyone who loves Jane Austen. I even recommend it to the student who publicly announced on Amazon that she “went into a coma” because she found Emma so BORING. My rating for The Annotated Emma by Jane Austen, Edited and Annoted by David M. Shapard is 5 out of 5 Regency tea cups. This book will definitely be a great edition on my shelves, along with Mr. Shapard’s other annotated editions of Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility.

29 Responses

Emma may be uppity and ignorant of things – but I like Mr. Knightely’s opinion – faultless in spite of her faults. : ) She does have a lot going for her – and as you said, with Mr. Knightely as a guide – how could she go wrong?! He was always guiding her rightly…even when she wouldn’t admit it.
I LOVE the teacups in your little picture! I collect English Bone China teacups (an interest inherited from my grandmother, who had English blood). They are a lovely group. ~

I read Mr. Shapard’s annotated version of Pride and Prejudice. The annotations made the book so much more enjoyable, as I was able to instantly understand the language and the references. I’ve already read Emma, but I still plan to purchase this and read again to pick up on things that I missed before!

Very good review Vic. The Southend on Sea bit. Well, from where Emma and her father live in Surrey it would be a terrible journey to get to Southend anyway. It is situated on the north side of the Thames Estuary. they would probably have had to go into London firts and cross London bridge before turning east and passing through the working call area of the growing docklands and the east end. Southend on Sea is nowadays famous for three things, it is where the easte enders, the cockneys, holiday, not Emmas fathers sort of thing at all. He would never have considered the journey anyway. Also it has the longest pier in the world at 1.33 miles long, probably designed to enable people to get away from the smell of the mud in the estuary.

So much for Southend. I think the smell of the mud is all about the rich nutrients in the marshes and waters of the estuary and it is probably an ecologists dream, just not Emmas. Ha! Ha! Ha! (an extra Ha! there for good measure) The last time I was there the fish and chips were fantastic. The fish must feed well in that smelly estuary!!!!!!!!

Just another thought. If ever you go there the jellied eels are fantastic and the cockles and mussels but be warned. I ate a pint of cockles in Southend once and was promptly sick in the train on the way back to London. It took a couple of days to recover.

Another thought Vic.Anybody reading this annoted version who lives in Southend, are they going to be upset by the comments about their lovely seaside town with it’s bracing air?????

Thank you for this wonderful review. I now very much want to get this book. But I must tell you, and I may be weird or something, but Emma has always been my favourite book. Why? Well, because I am like her in many ways, particularly the clueless bit! :) But really, she is good at heart, only wanting what’s best for everyone. And I also have to say, I NEVER found the book boring!!

I had always thought that because of Mr. Knightley’s highly respectful attitude toward Robert Martin, Emma and Harriet’s friendship would survive the marriages. It would not, admittedly, be on the equal companionship terms of their singleness, but along the same terms as Miss Bates and Mrs. Goddard were on with Mr. Woodhouse of being invited to come after dinner and on morning visits, but not in the same social rank. As lady of the manor, Emma certainly could have had friendly relations with her higher-status tenants’ wives. She might well have consulted Harriet on parish charity business, as well, as being one of the highest-ranking of the non-gentry in the parish, and therefore more in tune with the needs of the lower classes. Yes, they were removed from the same social sphere, but they hardly need have lost one another as friends, so long as both would have understood the altered terms of friendship.

Excellent point. I doubt their friendship would have been much affected by Harriet’s altered social status. It was Emma who did not recognize at first that Harriet never had much social status to begin with, except on her absentee father’s side.

when we 1st saw the movie “Emma”, one of our friends, a young man, made the comment, “What nice girls.” he then expressed the belief that there weren’t any girls like that. i begged to differ. my friends and i were like the girls in “Emma”. i quite remember caring for each other, having the mistaken petty envies, and mistaken prejudices. and slowly having our thoughts revised, either kindly or embarrassingly. but the whole time, we cared about other people and their feelings. a lot of “Emma” is immaturity and just plain growing up and experiencing life. perhaps you, Vic, might not have liked “Emma” because as you claim, you were a tomboy and not into girly things.

We often love people as much for their flaws as for their more perfect traits. – Does “flaw” have an opposite?”
I didn’t like Emma on first reading, but then I suspect most boys of 16 compelled to read the novel at school would feel similarly.
Yet on second reading (and with a good English teacher) she grew on me and I did come to like her, though plot-wise “Emma” is still probably the least re-readable of the Austen novels I have read.

It wasn’t until I saw the 90’s film Clueless that I began to like Emma and understand her a little. I will always have a warm spot for Cher/Alicia Silverstone as opposed to Emma/Gwynneth Paltrow, who, to my way of thinking, has become the singing 40-something, “perfect”, fashionista-conscious, health-advocate, know-it-all, “Goop” advice-dispensing version of Emma today.

Thanks for this, Vic. Reminds me it’s about time to re-read some Austen and these annotated editions sound intriguing. I haven’t read an annotated edition of anything since Jane Eyre in college, yet they can provide so much, especially upon re-reading.
ps–Emma was my least favorite Austen heroine too, or perhaps second to Fanny in Mansfield Park. It’s been several years since reading either…

Like Kathleen, Emma has always been a favorite of mine. I think her cluelessness is simply a result of inexperience and immaturity which ultimately would be replaced with empathy and generosity of spirit as Emma blossomed under the loving support of Mr. Knightly. (He being my favorite leading man in literature.) Perhaps this new annotated edition will win more fans for Emma. Thank you for reviewing it.

Glad to hear someone else has always liked Emma!
We named our second daughter Emma, but for two relatives, one on each side, but still, it makes me happy all the time! :) (Oh, and my sister’s name is Pamela, btw! :)
And yes, I have always imagined that Emma matured into a wise, gentle, and loving woman, who looked back on her youth with fond memories of her cluelessness, always letting it be a lesson to her in her mature years, and something she could laugh about.

Emma is not one of my favorite Austen works. I love Shapard’s work tho’ with other annotated works. I may indeed revise my opinion after reading this version. Thanks for pointing this one out to us. I didn’t know it was available now.

Whilst sitting beneath those wonderful flying teacups at Cassandra’s last summer my friend and I enjoyed chatting with a group of ladies who were members of the Jane Austen Society of North America. As you know, tea under the teacups with like minded people makes for a lovely afternoon.

Kathleen, I absolutely agree that Emma looked back on her youthful mistakes as a lesson learned. One wonders about the temperament and foibles of Emma’s daughters, assuming she had any, of course. How lovely to have your own Emma! Thank you for your comment.

Unfortunately for those who rely on Kindle it is impossible to have the same layout as the regular book edition which I found so useful in Shaphard’s Pride and Prejudice. By the way..I liked Emma because she wasn’t perfect !

Vic, Thanks so much for letting us know about Emma annotated and edited by David Shapard. A very enticing review! I am always so glad to be informed of the latest editions on your blog. I went right out and purchased it that day. It is a beautiful book! I loved it so much I bought all the other annotated Jane Austen novels by Shapard. I also have the annotated books from Harvard Press. They are wonderful coffee table books. To nice to leave the house. The Shapard books are just as special, but still a nice enough size to travel with. Thanks for keeping us in the know :)

[…] that Vic Sanborn of Jane Austen’s World and I are the same person…here is her review of THE ANNOTATED EMMA. Mine was so close to hers that I had to rewrite it. So for your enjoyment…here are our two […]

Nice to see he put in the spoiler warnings. I’ve read the Annotated Persasion and the Annotated Sense & Sensbility and found spoilers throughout, both for those books and for others by Jane Austen. For that reason I wouldn’t recommend these to the new Austen reader (unless they’ve seen the movies first and know how the books end already.

Thank you very much, Vic, for pointing out David M Shapard’s annotations of Jane Austen’s books. My first encounter with an annotated classic was Martin Gardner’s ‘The Annotated Alice’, which was wonderful, but several subsequent disappointments taught me that not all annotators have Mr Gardner’s wit and skill, and I have since viewed annotated books with suspicion. I have started the annotated Emma, and it looks as if Mr Shapard’s notes will add a great deal to the pleasure of reading it. Like some others here, I did not like Emma when I first read it at school. It didn’t help that our English teacher made no secret of her disdain for Jane Austen. I later learned to love JA through the aptly named Persuasion, and now I can say that Emma and Mansfield Park are my favourites of her books. Neither book has a particularly loveable heroine, but JA depicts their respective societies with such fascinating detail, and weaves together her characters’ actions and motives in such a logical and truthful way, that I find something new to enjoy on each reading. One thing though: I always chuckle when Mr Knightly declares that he has been in love with Emma since she was thirteen, and wonder how such a declaration might be received in a modern novel.

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Hello, my name is Vic and I live in Richmond, VA. I work in program and professional development at Virginia Commonwealth University, and I have adored Jane Austen almost all of my life. I am a proud lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. I do not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, I do accept and keep books, DVDs and CDs to review.

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